Dracula: Mina’s Reckoning (His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen) | Review By Hannah Cook

National Theatre of Scotland and Aberdeen Performing Arts in association with Belgrade Theatre, Coventry presented Dracula: Mina’s Reckoning at His Majesty’s Theatre this week. The much anticipated retelling of Bram Stoker’s classic sunk its teeth into Aberdeen theatre-goers, with thrilling staging, playful humour and terrifying jumpscares.

We follow the story under the buzzing lights of a psychiatric hospital in Aberdeenshire in 1897. Mina Murray recounts her encounters with the most terrifying of beasts: Dracula. A throng of patients listen with bated breath as they are transported to a world where immortality and ultimate power is possible, even for women – but with terrible consequences…

Famously, it is believed that Bram Stoker took inspiration from Slains Castle when he started writing the book. Notably for describing Dracula’s Castle containing a windowless octagonal room, which can be found in the ruins on the cliffs of Cruden Bay today. So, there is no surprise that this Scottish re-telling is performed in the beautiful Doric tongue.

Danielle Jam leads the production as the titular character Mina. She plays Mina with an understandable curiosity, taking the audience through the twists and turns of Mina’s retelling. Jam’s energy never falters through the sizable act 1, keeping Mina fearless and feministic.

The iconic role of Dracula is portrayed by Liz Kettle. Expertly done, Kettle glides across the stage and through the hidden crevices of the set. She holds a sense of stillness throughout the production which in contrast to the other characters is unsettling. Her sudden appearance and rich dialogue during Jonathan’s attack from Dracula’s wives is a highlight, leaving the audience wanting more of her.

Ailsa Davidson as Lucy is a standout performance within this production. Davidson has great stage presence as we watch the evolution of Lucy’s character arc. Starting as the sweet devoted fiancé of Dr Seward before eventually growing into a blood-sucking entity created by Dracula.

Catriona Faint portrays Jonathan with an innocence that settles you into the production. The sharp doric dialogues of North-Eastern Jonathan travelling to Castle Dracula is lighthearted and quick, making the jumpscares of Dracula even more terrifying.

Maggie Bain works perfectly to depict the ignorant Dr Seward. With bags of character of the traditional man of the 1800s, the audience is audible in their reactions to Sewards outdated viewpoints. From berating his fiancé that her attack by Dracula was her fault and how she asked for it, to declaring that women should not educate themselves. You can grow a brain or a baby, never both.

Ros Watt produces some stellar moments during the production as Renfield. Through monologues, often of a grotesque nature, Watt’s performance is raw and unwavering, we quickly understand the intoxication of Renfield, and their loyalty towards their ‘maester’.

The wise gentle Mr Swails is delivered by Anne Lacey. A local fisherman to the area, Lacey uses the doric language for laughs when we are first introduced to Mr Swails. As the plot thickens, we are treated to Swails recounting the shipwreck of Dracula’s arrival with captivating energy.

Natalie Arle-Toyne provides some hilarity with her melodramatic depiction of Van Helsing. With an extremely broad South African accent, Arle-Toyne makes light work of peppering the hunt for Dracula with humour.

As an ensemble, the cast worked together seamlessly – dipping in and out as the character’s in Mina’s tale and as the patients of the hospital.

Morna Pearson has created a boisterous adaptation of Stoker’s classic, sprinkled with theatrical humour while blending the doric language throughout. It is well noted that many of the cast are North-Easters, however some struggle with altering their “whits” to “fits”. Nevertheless, Pearson reflects upon the era of the original work and refreshing it into a more feminist attitude of liberating women to become blood-thirsty vampires, unchained by the patriarchy.

Director Sally Cookson produces a gothic and cinematic piece of theatre, using every nook and cranny of Kenneth Macleod’s versatile set design as it transforms from the cragged ruins of Slains Castle, the damp dark of Aberdeen Asylum to the hallways of Dracula’s castle.

Video Design by Lewis Den Hertog allows for further immersion into Mina’s story, with journal entries etching themselves onto the rocky walls.

Composer Benji Bower provides an atmospheric soundscape that works magnificently with Vicky Manderson’s synchronous and rhythmic movement direction. A highlight being the attack sequence on Jonathan by Dracula’s ‘wives’.

Aideen Malone supplies some outstanding lighting design. Working with a mixture of harsh spotlighting and a tall shadow wall, the distinction between settings is exceptionally well done. The fixed spotlighting follows the actors as they climb over the set from spot to spot. While the darkness out with these spots allow for some terrific jumpscares worthy of its horror genre.

Dracula: Mina’s Reckoning is a mysterious retelling of Bram Stoker’s story. With an all-women and non-binary ensemble cast we witness the addiction, intoxication and empowerment of Mina. The overarching theme of empowerment is not lost on the audience, leaving us to reflect on the female experience throughout history.

With a mild case of pacing issues, which I imagine is due to the brand new production still finding its feet as it sets off on its UK tour, this production is beautifully styled with gripping lighting and sophisticated set. This grants a fangtastic foundation for the actors to scare and take us on this updated retelling.